Chapter 21
CHAPTER 21
B eing pulled in different directions was nothing new for Adelaide, but this was the first time in a long time she wasn’t feeling conflicted.
She knew that whatever they did next, they would choose their path together. Dropping the fear that Michael could decide to walk away had given her more freedom than running away from him ever had.
“I will never, in all my days, forget the image of you leaping off of your horse onto another,” she said, shaking her head as they sat around the fireplace in Edward and Dot’s small private study at Mandrake Hall. It was similar to the one in their London townhouse, for Edward liked nothing better than to sit here alone – but for Dot – with his book and a cup of tea.
But tonight, he made an exception, for they had welcomed back Michael and Adelaide with such relief and gratitude.
Even though the hour had grown late, Dot said she would never be able to sleep until she heard what had happened to them.
“You were always the better horseman, Michael, but that is something else entirely,” Edward said, sipping his tea.
Michael shook his head in amazement. He held a cup of his own in one hand, but the other rested warmly on Adelaide’s thigh, and he didn’t appear to have any thought of moving it.
Adelaide didn’t mind at all.
She had caught Dot’s eyes flicking over to them a few times as though she was bursting to ask more questions, but she kept them to herself – for now.
“What happened to the men you hired to keep an eye on Jack?” Michael said, somewhat accusatory.
“He slipped their tail,” Edward said with a sigh. “He was more adept than we thought he would be. There was no way I could warn you quickly enough. We had hoped that our arrival would be before his, but we failed.”
“I appreciate you trying,” Adelaide said. “You did all you could.”
“Lord Gregory and Jack are now accounted for – somewhat,” Edward said, telling them what he knew now that they had finished their story. “We confined Lord Gregory on the estate in a room downstairs with servants acting guard and I have sent word to Lord St. James, telling him of his brother’s crimes. As for Jack, Jones and the other servants took him to the magistrate, who will send him to Newgate in London.”
Adelaide sat up straighter, looking at the three others in the room with concern.
“Why would Lord Gregory also not be going to Newgate? His crimes were worse than Jack’s.”
“They are, and chances are, if Jack shares what he knows about him, Lord Gregory will also face serious consequences.”
“Jack will likely hang. Lord Gregory will not?”
The outrage was growing again. Edward at least appeared chagrined as he answered her.
“It is not for me to say, but there is less chance that he would be.”
“Because of his noble ties.”
“Correct.”
“That’s not fair!”
“Perhaps not,” Edward said. “But there is not much that we can do. If accused, Lord Gregory would go in front of the House of Lords. If he is found guilty, this is treason, so he could still be tried to the fullest extent.”
“Did you tell the magistrate about him?”
“I did. He asked me to contact Lord Gregory’s family. He didn’t want to become involved.”
Adelaide seethed as Michael stroked her arm with his other hand.
“We’ll do what we can to see him tried fairly. I promise you that.”
The sincerity in his voice somewhat soothed her, but she was still annoyed, for she knew the truth of the matter.
“What about Rawlins?”
“The other two are sure to give him up,” Michael said, “but I’d actually like to get to him first.” He leaned forward, looking her in the eye. “I want to go to London and find him, to convince him that it is in his best interests to be sure to claim that the three of them – and only the three of them – were involved in this.”
“You are still worried that Jack will involve me.”
“Perhaps,” Michael said, but then Edward chimed in, his words much more blunt.
“Especially as he could make it seem that you left Michael to run away with him.”
“But—”
“I know,” Edward said, showing the surprising compassionate side that emerged now and again, usually for Dot, but today, that extended to Adelaide. “We know the truth and hopefully that explanation will help. But it is easy for truth to be turned through rumor into something else entirely.”
She was silent for a moment as she considered that after all she had been through, she could still be blamed for a crime she’d had no part in.
“There is another option,” Dot said, biting her lip. “I had refrained from raising it before, but it appears that perhaps circumstances have… evolved.”
Adelaide waited.
“Just as Lord Gregory is less likely to be tried to the fullest extent because of his connections, so would the wife of a nobleman.”
It took a moment for Adelaide to realize what she was saying.
“You are suggesting that Michael and I marry.”
“You must do what is best for you,” Dot said more cautiously. “I would never want you to feel forced into anything. I am only suggesting it as an option.”
Adelaide looked over at Michael, whose eyes were warm yet wary.
“You know how much I would love to marry you,” he said, his voice deep, vibrating her very soul. “But I would only do so if it was what you truly wanted. You can take some time to consider it. We do not need to speak of it now.”
She nodded, woodenly. For it was not that she didn’t want to marry Michael. Hadn’t she told him earlier that she wanted him? It was just… she didn’t want to marry him under such circumstances.
“It has been a long day,” Dot said, standing with a sigh and rubbing a hand over her growing belly. “Thank you for staying awake to share with us all that occurred, but you should be getting to bed, as should I. We will talk more tomorrow.”
She walked over and wrapped her arms around Adelaide as best she could with her belly between them. “I am so glad you are safe,” she whispered in her ear, causing Adelaide to blink away her tears. After her mother had passed, she never thought she would find someone else who cared so much about her, but here Dot was. A possible sister-in-law. An aunt to Mabel, if nothing else. A friend.
“Thank you, Dot,” she said, hugging her back. “Thank you so much.”
Michael wrapped an arm around Adelaide as he escorted her up to their adjoining rooms. One of the maids had been sitting next to Mabel’s bassinet as she slept, and she left after Adelaide waved off her offer to help her undress.
In all her time living with Michael and his family, she had never become accustomed to servants looking after her needs, and while she had accepted some help with the baby, she had always denied any offer to help with her personal service.
Michael lingered in the doorway. “Sleep well, Adelaide. Let me know if you need anything at all.” His eyes held hers a moment longer, offering promises that he didn’t speak aloud, before he turned to head to his own chambers.
Adelaide readied herself for bed, her mind still swirling with the dramatic events of the day. Just as she was about to extinguish the lamp, she heard a soft tap on the door connecting her room to Michael’s. Her pulse began to race at the noise, knowing just who would be there. She considered donning her dressing gown but decided at the last moment it was best left off, and she cracked open the door.
Her heart leapt at Michael standing there wearing only his breeches, hair tousled as though he had been running his hands through it, chest hard and strong. Adelaide’s fingers itched to touch him, but she held back, waiting to see if his thoughts were following the same direction.
“I know you must be tired,” he said slowly as her skin prickled with the tension stretching between them. “I tried to stay away, but I... I just needed to see you once more before retiring. To reassure myself that you’re truly all right.”
“I am, thanks to you,” Adelaide replied softly. “Your bravery saved us all today.”
“I could never bear to lose you.” Michael’s voice was low and fervent. He reached out to gently caress her cheek.
Adelaide’s breath caught at his touch. Despite all they had been through together, his closeness still caused a yearning within her, which she now knew only he could fill. No other man had ever made her feel as he did, and no other likely ever would.
As if drawn by an invisible force, she stepped closer, tilting her face up to his. “Nor I you,” she whispered. “You mean so much to me.”
Michael made a low sound before he captured her mouth in a searing kiss. Adelaide wound her arms around his neck as he pulled her flush against him. They stumbled backward to her bed as all that she had felt pulling her toward him earlier, that they couldn’t have put into action then, came tumbling out in built-up passion.
There were so many unanswered questions between them. Should they marry for the right reasons or wrong? Would she be blamed for any wrongdoing in this counterfeit scheme? Could they find a life forward together in London or at the inn she longed for?
But none of that mattered.
Not at the moment.
Adelaide melted into Michael’s embrace as the kiss deepened. His strong hands roamed her back and tangled in her hair, holding her close as if he never wanted to let go. She clung to his broad shoulders, reveling in the firmness of his muscles beneath her fingertips.
He backed her up toward the bed, laying them down upon it in a tangle of limbs and heated kisses. Michael’s weight settled over her, solid and reassuring. “My beautiful Adelaide,” he murmured reverently, lips trailing fire along her jaw and down the column of her throat. “Every night, I dreamt of holding you like this again.”
“As did I,” she gasped, arching into him. “I should never have held myself back from you.”
Her thin, silky nightgown and his breeches were hastily discarded between urgent caresses until, finally, nothing separated them. Adelaide drank in the sight of Michael’s bared form, all sleek power. He gazed at her with raw adoration, large hands skimming her curves as if memorizing every dip and swell.
The first time he had seen her without any clothing had been before her pregnancy, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he found her wanting now that her body had changed.
“Exquisite,” he breathed as though he had heard her thoughts. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”
Nothing had changed.
Adelaide flushed under his praise, warmth spreading from her cheeks down her neck to her chest. Emboldened, she reached up to draw him into another kiss, tongues tangling sensually. She poured all her passion and yearning into their connection, wanting to convey the depths of her feelings for this man who had so ultimately captured her heart.
Michael groaned into her mouth, the evidence of his desire hard against her thigh. His strong hands mapped every inch of her heated skin, leaving trails of tingling awareness in their wake. He palmed the weight of her breasts, thumbs circling the sensitive peaks until they tightened into aching buds.
“Michael, please,” Adelaide begged, undulating restlessly beneath him. The ache at her core grew unbearable, empty and waiting for him.
He answered her plea, his fingers delving into her slick folds to stroke her. Adelaide’s hips rose to meet his touch. She teetered on the precipice as he caressed her intimately, winding her tighter and tighter.
“That’s it, love,” Michael coaxed, voice roughened with need. “Give yourself to me.”
Two thick fingers plunged into her channel and curled just so, sending Adelaide over the edge with a silent scream. Her inner muscles clenched around him in pulsing waves as joy crashed through her. Michael worked her through the peak, prolonging her bliss until she collapsed back onto the mattress, boneless and sated.
But only for a moment. As she drifted down from the high, she lazily reached for Michael. He answered, nudging at her entrance, hard and ready for her. Adelaide widened her thighs in welcome, reaching down to guide him home.
They moaned together as he pushed inside inch by glorious inch, stretching and filling her. When he was seated to the hilt, Michael paused, trembling with the effort to hold back. He cupped her face tenderly, gray eyes blazing into hers.
“I love you, Addi,” he rasped. “So bloody much. I want to be yours in every way, now and always.”
Tears of joy prickled Adelaide’s eyes. “I love you too, Michael. With everything I am. Make me yours.”
Eyes locked on hers, he withdrew until only the tip remained before surging forward, sheathing himself fully inside her. Adelaide cried out, wrapping her legs high around his waist as he set a deep, driving rhythm that stoked the embers of her desire back into an inferno.
He took her with masterful strokes, angling his hips to hit that secret spot inside her that made stars explode behind her eyes. The sound of flesh against flesh and their ragged, mingled panting filled the room as they climbed together.
Adelaide clung to Michael desperately as he drove into her with increasing fervor, her nails scoring his sweat-slicked back. Each powerful thrust sent jolts of electric bliss radiating through her body, coiling the tension tighter and tighter in her lower belly.
“Michael,” she panted, voice breaking on a sob of pleasure. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”
“Never, love,” he growled against the sensitive skin of her throat. “I’ll never stop loving you.” He punctuated his words with a sharp snap of his hips, making her cry out.
One hand slid down to grasp her thigh, hitching it higher, opening her further to his possession. The change in angle allowed him to plunge even deeper, making light burst behind her eyes.
Michael suckled on one sensitive tip with his teeth, and Adelaide arched nearly off the bed. “Yes, Michael, just like that!” she panted, lost to him and the feeling he raised within her.
His free hand delved between their pounding bodies to find her sensitive bundle of nerves. He circled it deftly, sending bolts of liquid lightning through her already overwrought sense. Pressure built within Adelaide, her inner muscles fluttering wildly around Michael’s length.
“Let go for me, Addi,” Michael commanded, his voice a dark, honeyed rumble that shivered over her skin. “I’ve got you.”
It was all the permission she needed. With a cry softened only by her instinct not to wake the baby, Adelaide shattered, her release exploding through her in searing waves. She convulsed around Michael’s thickness, urging him to join her.
With a hoarse shout of her name, he obeyed, hips stuttering as he buried himself within her one last time before he pulled out of her at the last moment, his seed coming on the sheet beside them.
They clung to each other as the aftershocks slowly ebbed. Michael rolled to his side, taking her with him, still intimately joined. He brushed damp tendrils of hair from her face with a shaking hand, his eyes glowing with adoration and awe.
“That was...” he trailed off, apparently robbed of speech.
“Incredible,” Adelaide finished, smiling up at him luminously as she stroked his cheek. “I do love you, Michael.”
“And I love you,” he said. “No matter what.”